DUST 514 moves into open beta next week

CCP Games has announced today that the open beta of its PlayStation 3-exclusive FPS will be available for all to download and play on January 22, 2013 . This comes less than a week after the merger of the DUST 514 and EVE Online servers, with both games now integrated into a single persistent universe.

Players of both games will now be able to interact with each other directly, with DUST 514 mercenaries able to work for and against existing EVE player corporations.

"The launch of the Dust 514 Open Beta is another step towards our long-term vision for CCP and EVE," said CCP CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, pledging to further increase interactivity between EVE and DUST 514 players, as well as expand on the existing content.

The move to open beta testing marks the end of a closed beta which began back in May, starting with Fanfest attendees and a selection of EVE players.

Players wishing to get a head start on the competition however can purchase the DUST 514 'Mercenary Pack' from the PlayStation Store, which will grant access to the closed beta, as well as in-game currency and items which will be retained after the move to the open beta. Also, all players who play a match before the release of the open beta will receive a further bonus of 100,000 skill points.

Excited for the public beta? Why not head over to the forums and join our very own DUST 514 clan?